Home Heating Oil Tank Safety Advice From Silvey Fuels Bristol, South West UK
If you use oil to
heat your home, then you will have a storage tank in your garden which will
need to be maintained to ensure that health and safety regulations are adhered
to. Far too often 'health & safety' regulations are seen as red-tape of a bureaucratic Nanny-State, but if you want to keep your family and your home heating system at optimum efficiency, this advice is worth adhering.
It is important to
look out for signs of corrosion or damage.
If you can see dark patches around the outside of the tank, or smell an
unusual odour this could indicate that the tank has a leak.
Most of us have an
annual service on our boilers so it’s good practice to arrange a service on
your storage tank at the same time. Like
boilers, tanks have a limited working life.
Most tanks have an expected working life of approximately 20 years, so
if your tank is nearing this age, it may be wise to start thinking about
replacing it.
If you do detect a
leak, then you must know how to close the tank to stop the leak from getting
worse.
Make sure that you know where the shutoff valve is located and how to
turn it off. You can do this by contacting your local heating oil supplier or
tank manufacturer.
If your oil tank is
plastic and has a split, soap can be used to temporarily seal the crack. Clay based sealing putty is also good to use.
If space allows, put a container
such as a bucket underneath the leak to collect the spill.
If the spill has
occurred on a hard non porous surface like asphalt, then use dry cloths, sand,
earth or cat litter (the same as you would use in a cat litter tray). Once the oil has been absorbed, use gloves
and a shovel to put the material into a sealed bin bag.
It is possible to
buy ‘Spill Kit’s which contain absorbent pads, disposable bags and ties to aid
in the clean-up of oil spills.
Do not use
detergents or a hose to wash spilt oil away as this will make the pollution
worse and spread the contamination.
Notify your
insurance company that you have had a spill. It is a good idea to check that
your home contents insurance policy covers you for loss of oil and pollution
clean-up costs. Unfortunately many
policy holders do not realise that their insurance does not cover them when
they have a spill which can leave them with hefty bills to pay and heavily
polluted ground which may affect your property value.
If the spillage is
quite large or it has seeped into waterways such as ponds, lakes, ditches,
streams, or rivers, contact the Environment Agency for advice. Plants, animals
and fish that live in the water can be poisoned or suffocated. It can also affect your home and garden by
killing your lawn and plants and damage the structure of your house. Therefore if oil has soaked into the ground
you should arrange for a professional clean up company to remove all
contaminated soil.
Do not attempt to
repair your tank yourself.
Contact your
tank installer or engineer urgently.
The UK Environment Agency has produced this helpful pdf on what to do in the case of a domestic oil spill.
When filling the tank with oil the best home heating oil delivery companies, such as 'Silvey Fuels' adhere to the latest and best practices to ensure the oil delivery goes from the oil tanker to the oil tank. As well as the price you are paying for the domestic oil, consider the professionalism and reputation of the delivery company. At Silvey Fuel, we are proud to say that we have an excellent reputation as well as great prices.
For more information on our domestic heating oil delivery in Bristol and throughout the South West please visit https://www.silvey.co.uk/domestic-heating-oil or telephone 01454 333020
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